Kiyan Michael wins Republican nomination for Florida House District 16 election

Teresa Stepzinski, Florida Times-Union
·2 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Election results: Complete 2022 Florida election results

State House District 16 results: Republican primary 

Kiyan Michael won the Republican primary for state House District 16 — a newly redrawn district encompassing eastern Duval County including the Beaches — unofficial election results showed Tuesday night.

Kiyan Michael
Kiyan Michael

Voters gave Michael, who was endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, a big win over Lake Ray who previously served in the state house, and Chet Stokes, who currently serves on the Jacksonville Beach City Council.

Michael held an overwhelming lead over Ray and Stokes from beginning to end as the votes were counted. With all 33 precincts reporting, Michael received 46.9 percent of the vote. Stokes had slightly more than 28 percent while Ray received 24.9 percent, according to the Duval County Supervisor of Elections website.

No Democrats ran for the seat. Michael however will face two write-in candidates — Richard Hartley and Harley Wayne Moore — in the Nov. 8 general election.

More: Three Republicans vie for redrawn state House District 16 in eastern Duval County

Michael, 57, was making her first attempt at public office. If elected, her top priority, she said, would be improving immigration enforcement and ensuring enough resources are available to combat the problem. In 2020 she served as a member of the Black Voices for Trump Advisory Board.

Ray, 65, previously served from 2008 to 2016 in the state House representing former  District 12. Term limits prevented him from seeking re-election in 2016. Ray previously served on the Jacksonville City Council from 1999 to 2007.

He ran on his experience as a lawmaker as well as his conservative record regarding economic issues, being anti-abortion, pro-law enforcement, pro-growth and opposed to illegal immigration.

Stokes, a 31-year-old business owner, said, if elected, his top priority would be "protecting our businesses and small businesses." It's important that the growth of those businesses aren't hampered at the state level, and they have the tools they need to succeed, he said.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Election results 2022: Florida House District 16 Republican primary